Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas lost on Sunday as a result of one of the key problems that plagued the team all season – an unfortunately timed dry spell. In the first half, Georgetown was up by 10 points late in the first half, but went almost five minutes without a basket, letting NC State take control. Yes, there were other problems with Georgetown’s performance, but if the Hoyas could have scored during that stretch, the Wolfpack’s offensive rebounding wouldn’t have been that much of a gamechanger.

NC State:
NC State played extremely well, staying with their game plan, and not losing focus when the Hoyas started off strong. The impressive part was that in the 2nd half, they never let Georgetown back in it, until the final moments, when they came up with some critical stops and key free throws down the stretch.

Players

Georgetown:
Well, Super Hollis showed up in the tournament again. But unfortunately, as in the past two years, his performance was overshadowed by a disappointing defeat. We’ll be waiting to hear if Hollywood decides to stay at Georgetown for his senior year or put his name into the NBA Draft for good this time.

NC State:
Scott Wood is the best shooter for the Wolfpack and on Sunday, he did his part, hitting big time threes at critical points in the game. Entering the contest as a 92% free throw shooter, though, he did miss two free throws, one of which coming late in the game as the Hoyas were surging back. It ended up not mattering, but if Georgetown had won the game, I’m sure those two misses would haunt him for a long time.

Referees

The officiating for this game is something the Hoyas have seen before in the NCAA Tournament. Key big men getting into foul trouble due to questionable offensive fouls contributed to Georgetown’s demise during the Hibbert era, and Ted Valentine did not disappoint this year. While the early calls had a major impact on this game, it wasn’t the deciding factor, and despite Henry’s limited minutes, the Hoyas still had a shot to tie it at the end. It’s just frustrating to have the game affected so drastically by unnecessary whistles (that were not consistent throughout the game) and unfair to Henry Sims to have to watch his last game as a Hoya from the bench.

Number of the Game

1: Lead change. It was a game of two halves – Georgetown’s first 15 minutes and last five minutes of the game just couldn’t outdo NC State’s middle portion.

Beware the Eighteenth of March

For the fourth year in a row, the Hoyas finished the season with a tournament loss on March 18th. Hopefully next season. Georgetown will get to play on St. Patrick’s Day instead.

Teams

Georgetown:
Georgetown entered the game as the rare higher-seeded underdog, but against the trendy Belmont Bruins, the Hoyas proved that they were in fact the better team. Georgetown controlled this game from beginning to end thanks to their efficient offense and stingy defense. There were stretches where the Hoyas had lapses that have proved dangerous all season, but for the most part, they played a solid game. And most importantly, they live to play again.

Belmont:
Belmont came into the game as the 4th highest scoring team in the country, averaging 81.5 points per game. Against the Hoyas’ defense, the Bruins only managed 59 points – their lowest point total of the season and over 20 points less than their average. Part of this can be attributed to their size and how much larger and longer the Hoyas are, but also, Georgetown just plays really good defense and they couldn’t compete.

Players

Georgetown:
Jason Clark showed up big on Friday, dominating the game on both sides of the court. After a disappointing showing offensively in the Big East Tournament – only scoring 15 points over the two games – it was great seeing the old Jason back scoring 21 points off of an incredible 9-12 shooting. As the Hoyas face new teams in the postseason, it’s critical that they are able to score in different ways to open up the game. When Jason can knock down the three and can take it to the whole, it does so much for the offense, making it easier for Henry and Otto to do the dirty work inside and making it easier for the other shooters to get open looks or backdoor cuts.

Belmont:
Blake Jenkins was the one player for Belmont who was successful against the Hoya defense as he scored 17 points off of 7-11 shooting. But one player’s not enough, and his teammates struggled against Georgetown’s D, he couldn’t do enough to stop the bleeding.

Referees

The officials were pretty fair and consistent in Columbus. My only complaint is I’m not sure if they understand what a travel is. There were a couple of pretty standard post moves – I remember one running hook and one jump stop – that got called for walks. It was weird.

Number of the Game

78.5: Georgetown’s shooting percentage for the entire game if you exclude Henry Sims and Hollis Thompson. The other seven players who scored for the Hoyas were an unbelievable 22 for 28 from the field. That’s crazy.

Hollis in the Tournament

Before this game, no player on this Georgetown team had won an NCAA Tournament game, and Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson were the only players who had played in more than one tournament game. Both of those are games that most Hoya fans would like to forget, but the one positive in those two losses were Hollis Thompson.

As a freshman, Hollis had averaged 4.4 points per game before facing Ohio in the NCAA Tournament. Then, he scored a career-high 16 points in his last game of the season. As a sophomore, Hollis was averaging 8.0 points per game, but then against VCU, he again scored a career-high, this time scoring 26 points.

He did not continue the trend against Belmont, but then again, the team didn’t continue the trend of losing, so I’ll take that trade. But hopefully, Super Hollis will show up again this tournament.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas overcame a sluggish start to earn a relatively easy victory over Pittsburgh 64-52. The Hoyas were behind by six points with six and a half minutes to go in the first half, but then closed out the half on a 16-2 run that set the tone for the rest of the game. From that point on, Georgetown was in control, running the offense through Henry Sims and getting quality looks, and using another strong defensive performance to hold Pittsburgh in check for most of the second half.

When the Hoyas defend and rebound well, they can really dictate the pace of the game, and that is what we saw today. And if Georgetown has a lead, the Hoyas can patiently run the offense to find good looks, and with each score they put increasing pressure on their opponents, who have to use clock and work extra hard just to get open. If the defense plays as well as we know it can, the Hoyas have a serious chance of going deep in this tournament, and the next one.

Pittsburgh:
The last time these two teams met, the Panthers got a number of easy baskets inside, and they shot 52% from the field in that game. This time, Georgetown’s defense was much improved, keeping Pitt from getting anything going inside and holding the Panthers to 37% shooting. On the other side of the ball, the Panthers had no one who could contain Henry Sims, who seemed to be scoring or picking up assists every time he touched the ball. And with Georgetown winning the rebounding battle 36-25, Pittsburgh was fighting a losing battle.

Players

Georgetown:
Henry Sims dominated the game, and his stat line tells the story: 20 points, 13 rebounds, five assists. He did a great job finding open teammates but also recognizing when he should keep the ball himself. Sims has been quiet recently, putting forth solid efforts but not the really strong performances that we saw earlier in the year. He seems to have re-found his fire because today he was a force to be reckoned with.

Otto Porter also impressed in his first Big East Tournament game. He scored a career-high 20 points and continues to showcase a very nice mid-range jumper. If defenses continue to leave him open from 15-18 feet, then Porter will continue having big scoring outputs as he did today.

Pittsburgh:
Ashton Gibbs scored 14 points for the Panthers in what would be his final Big East Tournament game. He scored nine straight points to give his side a six point edge midway through the first half. However, he went just 2-11 the rest of the way. Also, he was the only Pittsburgh player to reach double figures, showing how much the Panthers struggled from the field on the night.

Number of the Game

19: Rebounds collected by Henry Sims and Otto Porter. The Georgetown duo worked extra hard on the glass in this game, and rebounding has been a critical element to the Hoyas’ success all season long. Adding in Greg Whittington’s six boards, and the three players out-rebounded the entire Pittsburgh line-up.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas ended the season with a whimper instead of a bang, falling to Marquette 83-69. The team did not look quite right on the day, as the offense was creating good scoring chances but not converting and the defense was good but not great. The Hoyas shot just 30% from the field in the first half, with a lot of shots rimming out. Georgetown’s defense is most effective in the half court, but the Golden Eagles made a point of trying to run as often as possible and their press flustered the Hoyas into giving up too many easy points. The Hoyas trailed most of the game, and while they kept it close, they were never really able to threaten Marquette for the lead. All in all, team just looked a bit off and lost the game and a chance at the double-bye as a result.

Marquette:
It was Senior Day for the Golden Eagles, and they and their fans were ready. Marquette did not have a shoot the ball particularly well, going just 2-12 on three pointers, but they instead created offense by using a high-tempo full-court press to force turnovers and score transition layups. Marquette had 11 steals on the day and 18 fast-break points, which played a big part in the win. If the Golden Eagles had connected on their threes, this game very well could have been a blowout.

Players

Georgetown:
Otto Porter has been improving all season, and this game showed just how far he has come. In a hostile environment with his teammates struggling, Porter was not afraid to take his shots when he was open. His mid-range jumper is very smooth, and he knocked it down often in this game, scoring a team-high 19 points on 9-11 shooting. Based on his play the past few games, I anticipate that he will be starting for the Hoyas for the rest of the season.

Marquette:
Senior Jae Crowder had a monster game with 26 points, 14 rebounds and five steals, all game-highs. He was a critical part of the Golden Eagles’ press, and any time the Hoyas looked like they might be edging closer, Crowder made a big play to stop Georgetown’s momentum and get the crowd back into the game.

Referees

The officiating was atrocious, there’s no other way to describe it. Even the play-by-play announcers noticed that what was being whistled on one end of the court was being let go on the other. The lopsided refereeing hurt Georgetown, with Hollis Thompson picking up his fourth foul just 3 minutes into the second half and Henry Sims fouling out with over nine minutes to go in the game. The way the Golden Eagles were playing, it would have been difficult for Georgetown to get a win in the first place, but with the team’s leaders hampered by fouls, it was impossible.

Number of the Game

24: Points off turnovers for Marquette. Georgetown has had issues taking care of the ball at various points this season, and the press break has always been a point of concern. That was evident in this game, as the Golden Eagles used a full-court press that gave the Hoyas headaches all day. When the Hoyas did break the press, they were able to pass the ball ahead for an easy score. Unfortunately it seemed that more often than not the Hoyas were instead passing it to Marquette.

If the Hoyas win at Marquette, they will finish with a record of 13-5 and be the #2 seed in the Big East Tournament. It’s possible that other teams also finish with the same record, but those teams – Marquette, Notre Dame, and USF – all would have lost to Georgetown, so the Hoyas would win any and all tie breakers with those teams.

If the Hoyas lose to Marquette, it gets a little more jumbled. If the Hoyas lose, Marquette finishes in 2nd place, and Georgetown ends with a conference record of 12-6. Notre Dame and South Florida can finish ahead of the Hoyas if they both win. In that case, ND and USF will finish at 13-5, ND would be #3 and USF would be #4.

If the Hoyas lose AND Cincinnati wins, then both teams finish at 12-6, and since the Hoyas lost to Cincinnati, the Bearcats would win the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Hoyas, earning the 5th slot for themselves and pushing the Hoyas down to 6th position.

If Georgetown, USF, and Cincinnati ALL lose, then Georgetown finishes in 4th place, with USF in 5th, and Cincinnati in 6th. And if all those teams lose along with Notre Dame (which is highly unlikely in a home game versus Providence), then the Hoyas would finish in 3rd place.

So there you have it. Simply put, if the Hoyas win they take 2nd. If the Hoyas lose, they could finish in 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th depending on the other results. For simplicity’s sake, the Hoyas could really help everybody out with another win on Saturday.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas closed out the home season with their second blowout in three days, this time dismantling Notre Dame 59-41. Georgetown experienced no letdown after its 21 point win over Villanova, following the same strategy for success. The Hoyas totally dominated the Irish defensively, holding them to 33.3% shooting on the night and just 17.6% from three-point range. This year’s Notre Dame team is not as dangerous from downtown as some of their predecessors, but if left open they can do a lot of damage. Georgetown did a great job of keeping the Irish’s perimeter shooters covered and not giving up any uncontested shots.

Offensively, The Hoyas shot very well, 52.3% from the field, and moved the ball effectively. The team is still sometimes too anxious to post up Henry Sims on the low block, feeding him too early before he has established good position. But other than that, Georgetown looked very good all around, perhaps the team’s best performance of the season.

Notre Dame:
The Fighting Irish had been riding high before their nine game winning streak was snapped by St. John’s. Notre Dame came in looking to right the ship, but the Hoyas did not allow that to happen. Georgetown did not give Notre Dame anything on offense, closing out very well on the Irish shooters and keeping them from getting penetration. On the other side of the ball, Notre Dame seemed incapable of stopping the Hoyas offensively, as the Georgetown lead steadily grew for most of the second half. As a result, the Irish lost their second straight game.

Players

Georgetown:
It was Senior Night for the Hoyas, as the Georgetown faithful bid farewell to Jason Clark and Henry Sims, who both had solid games. The two combined for 25 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in their final performance at Verizon Center.

But it was Greg Whittington who stole the spotlight. He put up a career-high 15 points to lead all scorers and went a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. He has been an X-factor of sorts for Georgetown this year, but if he can keep performing at the level he has been playing at recently, Whittington can be a big boost off the bench for the Hoyas in the Big East Tournament and beyond.

Notre Dame:
Since the Irish were not getting quality three-point looks, Eric Atkins did a good job of pushing the tempo, driving to the basket, and trying to get points from inside the three-point arc. He ended with a team-high nine points, and I thought he was the player for Notre Dame that gave Georgetown the most trouble.

Fans

I mentioned in my last Postgame Thoughts that the crowd during the Villanova game was strangely subdued. The atmosphere at Verizon Center Monday night could not have been more different. Maybe the change in tone was because it was Senior Day, but regardless of the reason the Georgetown fans were definitely more vocal that they were two days earlier. The student section was very loud the entire game, cheering on the team even as the result stopped being in question and giving an appropriate send-off to Henry Sims and Jason Clark.

Number of the Game

0: Number of Notre Dame players in double figures. Georgetown held the Irish to just 41 points in the game, and nine points below their previous scoring low for the season. All season long the defense has been the story for the Hoyas, and as the team enters March, they seem to be picking up the intensity.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas bounced back from their poor performance against Seton Hall to soundly defeat Villanova, 67-46. Georgetown earned the victory by returning to the fundamentals that has brought the team success. The defense was back to its stellar self, holding the Wildcats to 28% shooting from the field. And, with so many missed shots, the Hoyas did a great job on the boards, outrebounding Villanova 41-24. Defense and rebounding have been the two keys to success for the Hoyas, and when the team does both well, they are hard to beat.

That being said, it was not a great performance from the Hoyas. The team was sloppy at times, committing 14 turnovers, and the offense did not execute as well as it has in other games this season, as evidenced by only 10 assists on 24 made field goals and 23% three-point shooting. Still, for Georgetown to be able to get a win with its offense not really clicking is a good sign.

Villanova:
The Wildcats have struggled this season, amassing only four conference wins, and this game was no exception. Villanova is a guard-oriented team, so three-point shooting is critical to their success. They shot only 25% from beyond the arc, missing all of their second half attempts. The Wildcats did show flashes of their former self, going on an 11-0 run in a two minute span in the first half in which they made three threes and cut the Georgetown lead to just four. However, they would not make a three the rest of the way, and their poor shooting doomed them to another defeat.

Players

Georgetown:
It was a team performance for the Hoyas, with lots of players having good games but not great games. The player who stood out the most was Otto Porter. He earned his second start of the season, but only 30 seconds into the game took an elbow to the face that sidelined him for several minutes. He was able to return and had a team-high 15 points and six rebounds. He has been one of the hardest workers for the Hoyas this season, and his toughness was evident today.

Villanova:
Maalik Wayns is Villanova’s leading scorer this season and was returning from an injury that sidelined him for the previous three games. He looked not to be 100% yet, going just 1-10 from the field and committing four turnovers. Dominic Cheek, who has assumed a leadership role during Wayns’ absence, had the best game for the Wildcats, scoring a game-high 19 points to go along with four steals. He was the only Villanova player in double figures though, and he simply did not get enough scoring support to keep his side in the game.

Fans

The Verizon Center was filled with 19,277 fans who came out to see the classic rivalry. I don’t know if it was the large lead or the quality of play, but the arena seemed oddly quiet for most of the game. For such a large crowd is was almost eerie how disengaged the fans were, especially the students. There were not many cheers, and given that Georgetown was giving a thrashing to a perennial foe, you’d think the fans would have been a little bit more vocal in their support for the Hoyas.

Number of the Game

17: Rebounding edge for Georgetown. Against Seton Hall, the Hoyas lacked energy and focus, allowing the Pirates to run away with a victory. The rebounding margin in this game shows Georgetown was mentally and physically prepared for this contest. The Hoyas went after the loose balls and fought on the glass, and that tenacity will be critical as we enter March.

Teams

Georgetown:
Georgetown put forth one of their worst performances of the season on Tuesday, getting blown out by Seton Hall on the road. Seton Hall is a better team than they have been in previous years, and losing this game should not be the end of the world, but the way the Hoyas played was very disheartening and brought back memories of the team’s recent postseason struggles.

Seton Hall:
The Pirates took full advantage of Georgetown’s weaknesses on Tuesday, and while the Hoyas struggled offensively for stretches of the game, Seton Hall did not give Georgetown any opportunity to get back into the game by doing the same. They executed as well as they needed to to hold off the #9 Hoyas.

Players

Georgetown:
I don’t know if there’s a player for Georgetown who deserves a shout-out here. Looking at the box score, nothing stands out, and thinking back over the game, I can’t remember a player who stepped up as much as he needed to at this point in the season.

Seton Hall:
Jordan Theodore could not be stopped. Yes, the Georgetown defense wasn’t where it needed to be, but by the middle of the second half, it didn’t matter what anybody did to cover him, he was going to put the ball into the basket. The senior earned his career-high on his next-to-last home game, and hopefully Georgetown won’t have to face him again. Or if they do, let’s hope he plays like his normal self and not his super alter ego.

Number of the Game

4: Missed three-pointers in the final minutes of the first half. Jason Clark tied the game at 22 with 6:00 remaining in the first half. While the Pirates kept scoring, the Hoyas hit a rut by forcing too many three-pointers. As a result, they found themselves down by seven at the break and except for briefly to start the 2nd, never got any closer.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas are now 3-0 in rematch games this season, this time defeating Providence 63-53. Georgetown led from wire to wire and kept the Providence fans out of the game. This Georgetown team generally does not run away with games, usually slowly and methodically taking control. This game was no exception, as the Friars seemed to always be in the game but never really threatened to take the lead.

Also, the defense continues to be the backbone of the team’s success. The Friars entered the game averaging over 69 points a game, but for the second time this season the Hoyas held them to under 55 points. And even though the Hoyas did not put forth their best performance, in the end Georgetown did just enough to keep the Friars at bay and stay in the running for the double-bye in the Big East Tournament.

Providence:
The Friars struggled mightily from the floor, shooting under 26% from the field on the night. Despite the poor shooting, the Hoyas never led pushed the game out of reach, and Providence was within striking distance for most of the game, thanks in part to the 13 offensive rebounds. However, the Friars were unable to stop the Hoyas when they needed it, and in the end they were just outmatched.

Players

Georgetown:
Hollis Thompson had an impressive night, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the win. It was his third double-double of the season and his second in three games. Thompson has not been the most consistent Hoya this season, but he seems to be turning it on at the right time, which could be very good news for Georgetown fans.

Nate Lubick also had a good game but was limited by foul trouble, with nine points and three assists in only 19 minutes of action. Lubick has struggled at times this season, but he has recently started to assert himself and play up to the potential that we saw in him last year.

Providence:
Vincent Council was the only Friar in double figures, playing all 40 minutes and scoring 13 points on the night. Unfortunately, he had no real scoring support, and the Friars lost their 13th conference game of the year.

Number of the Game

14: Consecutive minutes in the first half without a field goal for Providence. The Georgetown defense is getting a reputation for shutting down opponents for minutes at a time. However, the Hoyas need to do a better job of taking advantage of those stretches to really extend on a lead. In this game, despite the lengthy drought, the Friars were still able the lead to just three in the first half, showing that Georgetown missed a real opportunity to take a stranglehold on the game.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas led from start to finish in this game, earning 71-61 win over St. John’s to sweep the season series. But the game was much closer than those numbers would indicate. The Red Storm were breathing down Georgetown’s neck for most of the game, but the Hoyas did a good job of never allowing St. John’s to take the lead.

The Hoyas did not have one of their best games offensively. Despite shooting almost 50% from the field, the Hoyas offense seemed impatient, settling for outside jumpers early in the shot clock without moving the ball around first. That being said, the team continues to rebound well, and the Hoyas are getting production from the underclassmen. And for the sixth game in a row the Georgetown defense held its opposition to under 65 points. The performance as a whole was not as good as it has been the past few games, but it was still good enough to get a win.

St. John’s:
The Red Storm trailed the entire game, yet never quit fighting. St. John’s essentially plays only six players, yet they were able to hang with the Hoyas for the whole contest, never seeming to sag even late in the game. And despite going seven and a half minutes in the second half without a field goal, the Red Storm stayed in the game with their free throw shooting, shooting almost 80% from the line after the break. Still, in the end they could not get over the hump, as Georgetown was eventually able to wear down the Red Storm just enough to stretch the lead out to nine points with three minutes to play and hold on down the stretch.

Players

Georgetown:
Nate Lubick has not had a great sophomore season, but he played a big role in this win. He provided energy right from the tip-off, and ended the game with a stacked line, scoring seven points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out five assists, and blocking four shots.

Greg Whittington also provided a key lift for the Hoyas off the bench. He scored a team-high 12 points in his highest scoring output of the season, with his shots coming at the right time, keeping the Red Storm at arm’s length the entire game.

St. John’s:
In the first meeting between these two teams, D’Angelo Harrison was only 1-12 from the field, scoring just five points. He was determined not to have a repeat performance. Harrison led all scorers with 24 points, including five threes that helped keep the Red Storm in the game. Moe Harkless added 20 points for St. John’s, but the duo did not get enough support from the rest of their team to pull out the win.

Number of the Game

5: Georgetown players in double figures. The Hoyas also had seven players with seven or more points in the win, showing a growth in scoring distribution. It is no longer the Big Three who are the main offensive threats, but every Hoya on the floor has the potential to have a big game.